The Golden Hour After Birth: Benefits for Breastfeeding, Bonding, and Recovery

The Golden Hour: Why the First 60–90 Minutes After Birth Matter

The moments immediately after your baby is born are often referred to as the Golden Hour. This is the first 60–90 minutes after birth, when your baby is placed directly on your chest for uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact.

At The Doula Support Hub, we talk about the Golden Hour often because it’s a simple, evidence-based practice that can have a powerful impact on feeding, bonding, and postpartum recovery—whether this is your first baby or your fourth.

What Is the Golden Hour?

The Golden Hour is the period right after birth when your baby is placed skin-to-skin on your chest, ideally without interruptions. During this time, routine procedures like weighing, measuring, and bathing can usually wait unless there is a medical need.

Your baby has just transitioned from the warm, dark, rhythmic environment of the uterus into a bright, cool, unfamiliar world. Skin-to-skin contact helps ease that transition by providing warmth, the sound of your heartbeat, the familiarity of your voice, and your natural scent.

Instead of being taken away for routine care, your baby can stay where they feel most secure—right on you. This simple practice supports a calm, connected start to life outside the womb.

Why the Golden Hour Is So Important

Skin-to-skin contact during the Golden Hour supports your baby’s natural reflexes and helps stabilize their vital signs. Babies who experience uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact often have more stable body temperature, more regulated breathing and heart rate, and steadier blood sugar levels.

For parents, this time promotes early bonding and confidence. It allows you to meet your baby without distractions and begin your postpartum experience in a calmer, more connected way.

The Golden Hour is not about perfection. It’s about creating a gentle, supportive transition for both you and your baby.

How the Golden Hour Helps Establish Breastfeeding

Babies are born with strong, instinctive feeding reflexes. During the Golden Hour, many babies will go through a sequence of natural behaviors often called the breast crawl.

When placed skin-to-skin, your baby may rest quietly at first. Then they begin making small movements, bobbing their heads, and rooting toward the breast. Over time, many babies will inch their way toward the nipple, self-attach, and begin their first feeding.

When babies are allowed uninterrupted time like this, they often latch more effectively and begin breastfeeding more smoothly. This early feeding helps stimulate milk production, encourages a deeper latch, and builds confidence for both parent and baby.

Even if your baby doesn’t latch during the Golden Hour, skin-to-skin contact still provides enormous benefits and helps lay the foundation for future feedings.

How the Golden Hour Supports Postpartum Recovery

The Golden Hour doesn’t just benefit your baby—it also supports your body’s recovery after birth.

When your baby is skin-to-skin and beginning to feed or crawl toward the breast, their feet naturally press against your abdomen. This stimulation, along with the release of the hormone oxytocin, helps your uterus contract.

These contractions are important because they support the process of involution, when the uterus begins shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size. This process also helps reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone,” but it plays a critical role in postpartum recovery. It supports uterine contractions, milk let-down, and feelings of calm, connection, and well-being during the early postpartum period.

The Golden Hour After a Cesarean Birth

Many families are surprised to learn that the Golden Hour can still happen after a cesarean birth.

If both the birthing parent and baby are stable, skin-to-skin contact can often begin right in the operating room or shortly after surgery in the recovery area. With the support of your care team—and often your partner or doula—your baby can be placed on your chest even in the surgical setting.

This allows you to experience many of the same bonding, feeding, and recovery benefits as after a vaginal birth. If this is important to you, it’s a great idea to include your Golden Hour preferences in your birth plan and talk with your provider ahead of time.

Planning for Your Golden Hour

If the Golden Hour is something you’d like to prioritize, start the conversation early. Talk with your provider about skin-to-skin after both vaginal and cesarean births, and include your preferences in your birth plan.

Your partner or doula can help support these preferences and communicate with the care team so you can focus on meeting your baby.

At The Doula Support Hub, we help families plan for these moments so the transition from bump to baby feels calm, connected, and supported.

A Gentle Reminder

Birth doesn’t always go exactly as planned, and sometimes medical needs take priority. If your Golden Hour looks different than expected, it doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance.

Skin-to-skin contact can happen at any time after birth and still offer meaningful benefits for both you and your baby.